Archive for the ‘Books’ Category

The long await for the continuation of The Blue Effect, by Rose Shababy, has finally come to an end. The After Effect, by Rose Shababy, has made its debut, and it is definitely nothing like I had imagined it to be. There are so many twists and turns to the story that you never get bored while reading it. This story is a roller coaster ride through the past, present, and future.

Kasey is being haunted by the memories of his past. He is reliving the death of his family almost every night now in his dreams. These reoccurring events are not only effecting him mentally and physically, it is also effecting his relationship with the love of his life, Blue. Blue is not liking these new frustrations coming from Kasey. He has always been the one to keep them grounded, and now that he is starting to lose his cool, will he end up losing Blue too?

The group has uprooted themselves from Seattle, and decided to move to Idaho. What they did not expect to find on their new adventure was another super human like themselves, Rayne. Rayne never expected to meet a single person with abilities like herself, much less a whole group of them. Could the intimidation of the super group be enough to push Rayne away? Or can they find a way to keep her, and talk her into joining the group? Not only is Rayne`s gift unlike any of their own, they soon will learn that her gift is the only thing that can save one of their own lives.

The Vampire Hunter`s Daughter books 1-6, and The Arcadia Falls Chronicles books 1-6, is a two part book series. It is an immaculate series that holds your attention from beginning to end. The constant action and the love triangle leave you begging for the next book.

The story begins with the tragic death of Chloe’s mother. Chloe will learn quickly that life as she knew it, is not like she knew it at all, and it would soon change forever. Her mother was killed by vampires who were sent by Chloe`s father. Before the vampires could kidnap Chloe, a team full of vampire hunters intervenes. She runs right into the arms of Drew. Drew, and the team of vampire hunters, takes Chloe to her new forever home.

If you’re keeping score, so far I’ve managed to knock two more titles off my massive list. Forbidden by Beverly Jenkins (5 stars) and Level Up by Cathy Yardley (also 5 stars). I won’t say how many books I’ve added to the list. It’s a lot and here are six more to pile on to the sweet sweet torture. I haven’t read many romances that focus on athletes. I actually think I’ve only read two, both by Farrah Rochon (You should check out Huddle With Me Tonight and the rest of her New York Sabers series. Good stuff.) Thanks to all the book browsing I’ve been doing for WOCInRomance, I’ve come across quite a few sports based romances that have caught my eye.

Alicia Santos knows she shouldn’t be tempted by the team’s new rookie catcher. . .

But Joe Fernandez isn’t just your average baseball player. He’s a potential rookie of the year with amazing skills on the field. Smart, sexy and determined, he’s fought hard for everything in his life and Alicia appreciates that kind of focus. But she’s older and wiser, or so she thinks, until Joe sets his sights on winning her over off the field. . .

Joe Fernandez has never backed down from a challenge . . .

Especially when it’s a woman like his team’s beautiful trainer. He doesn’t mind that she’s older or stubbornly refusing to give into her attraction for him. He’s a patient man and little by little he wears away her resistance.

Nights spent together are glorious and forbidden . . .

Alicia and Joe work hard to keep their personal and professional lives apart to avoid problems on the baseball field. When a career-ending injury threatens their newfound love, Alicia and Joe must find the strength to rebuild Joe’s body and restore balance to their lives.

This has a few taboos for me. Sex in the workplace is can always be tricky, but something tells me this is going to be steamy as hell. Give it to me.

Get swept away in the passionate romance between political opposites Caroline Gerard and Jack McIntyre in the first half of The Bellator Saga.

Cannot be read as standalones

At the end of 2015 I had finally managed to clear my schedule and dive into a series that had been sitting on my (never ending) “To Be Read” list. I had heard great things about the author, the writing, and the unique storyline and I honestly couldn’t wait to immerse myself into something new. Written by Indie Author Cecilia London, The Bellator Saga is unlike anything you have ever read before. With three books in the series already published, London brings to life a painful yet beautiful battlefield of love, power and control.

With six books in total, The Bellator Saga: The First Trilogy is set against the backdrop of a country in political disarray, whilst the romance in this novel is emphasized through detailed and extensive flashbacks, allowing each book to highlight how Cecilia London uniquely pairs suspense and romance. Unexpectedly but very much welcome, London’s writing WILL completely captivate, and you will be left with no choice but to be intensely invested in the exquisite creativity her mind has to offer.

Dissident: a person who opposes official policy, especially that of an authoritarian state.

In the beginning of the series, in the most harrowing of circumstances we are introduced to Caroline Gerard and Jack McIntyre. Written in third person with ease and seamless transitions, each chapter flicks between the past and the present giving readers an essential understanding of their backgrounds, personalities and most importantly, their relationship.

We become familiar with this intellectually sassy feminist whose tenacity is everything you want in a heroine. And at the forefront of the opposing party is the playboy of politics, Jack McIntyre. Watching Jack McIntyre fall in love with Caroline will be your undoing. Sex appeal paired with swoon, let your infatuation for him begin NOW.

I read a heap of anthologies last year, and while I typically enjoy short stories, going through a whole collection might at times prove to be an exhausting and challenging affair. One demanding quick mindset alternations and, in effect, causing frequent mood swings. Being of a naturally lazy disposition, I secretly vowed to steer clear from anthologies temporarily and indulge in more homogeneous reads.

Ironically, one of the first books I was offered to review in 2016 turned out to be Follow Me into Darkness, a queer anthology containing five tales of carnival romance and oscillating around a common theme of a mask. The resistance was futile, the main convincing factor being the authors, participating in this collaboration. It’s been the second time for this very crew to come together in order to work on a project. The previous fruit of their labour, Lead Me into Darkness, was a successful Halloween inspired collection, which I had the pleasure to review last October.

Welcome back readers! I have just completed The Blue Effect: The Complete Collection, Episodes 2-3 (Renegade Heroes), by Rose Shababy, and all I can say is: wow! What a remarkable series. I had said at the end of my previous essay: “things just started to heat up between Blue and Kasey”. Not only did Blue finally get her chance at true love, she also found that she possesses a powerful gift, and she inherited a family to call her own.

The connection that Blue and Kasey felt in the first book only gets stronger in 2-3. The love they have developed for each other is so strong that they literally cannot be apart from each other. Every time the two touch they feel a spark pulse through their body that can only be explained as: pure ecstasy. Anytime spent apart from each other only makes them weak, and longing for the next moment they can be together to feel that spark of life.

Unquestionably brilliantly written, Sunset Park is the second installment in the Five Boroughs story. It has been the most anticipated autumn release for me. The first book, Sutphin Boulevard, was deliciously angsty and featured darker themes. In comparison, this novel constitutes a much lighter read, filled with sweeter, romantic undertones, repartee, and humor. It also has more of a New Adult feel. Still, there’s an edge to it, and plenty of heat – of the Kindle melting variety.

Recently I wrote a post on the classic tropes I enjoy within the M/M genre. Coincidentally, Sunset Park is cleverly woven around not one, not two, but three of my favorite themes, turning this book into something of my kryptonite.

Romantic suspense is a really tough genre to write in, I imagine. The balance between romance and suspense can be tricky, with far too many books (at least in my opinion) asking you to suspend disbelief enough to think that the hero and heroine would be able to relax in the middle of all their danger so they can have sex. I don’t read a lot of romantic suspense as a result, and so I was delighted to read Laura Curtis’s Mind Games. Mind Games does a great job of ratcheting up the romance as the action ratchets up, and there are no quickie interludes to make me roll my eyes. Here’s the blurb for Mind Games:

Sugar Jamison’s The Bad Boy CEO is a deliciously satisfying contemporary romance, with a sparkling-hot main relationship and plenty of interesting secondary characters, some of whom will no doubt get their own books. Here’s the synopsis:

Colt King has spent his whole life trying to prove he’s not the trash his hometown of Destiny, Nevada, thought he and his brothers were. As soon as he was old enough he left town, vowing to make a name for himself and never looking back at the place that looked down on him. But that plan goes out the window when his ailing elderly aunt asks him to come home.

Towards the end of last month Anchor, the final book in M. Mabie’s The Wake Series, was released and for many romance readers this moment was by far the highlight of 2015. The Wake Series is a series of contemporary romances that follow Casey, Blake and significant secondary characters, highlighting both the harsh realities and celebrated pleasures of life.

(Readers, please note, this series is not for the faint-hearted. If you enjoy questioning every thought, decision and judgement you have ever made, and if you are willing to push your own boundaries, then this series is for you, changing you in ways you never thought possible.)

This series is about flaws, imperfections, mistakes and heartache. Paired with determination, belief, persistence and perseverance, M. Mabie writes about Love. All encompassing, life changing and heartbreakingly beautiful LOVE.

Bait introduces us to Casey and Blake. If they had met in different times of their life, this meeting would have been perfect and faultless. Unfortunately timing isn’t in their favor and readers are drawn into a tumultuous journey of forbidden love that is imperfectly perfect.